I know many will disagree but I wish the ham industry had never gone
to RG6 and F plugs and jacks for filters, preamps and various rx
antennas etc. I know that UHF/BNC/N take up more space and cost more
but the feedline and connector series that works for broadcast TV,
cable and broadcast FM reception doesn't always have the benefits hams
need, in my semi-humble opinion. There is a confusing variety of
connectors and cables, strip and crimp tools, and quality is all over
the place, I think aluminum shields and crimps are unreliable, and I
don't think this entire line was ever originally intended to carry DC
to power active devices. I much prefer copper and soldered
connections, plus BNC/UHF/N males can be threaded on and hand
tightened or released with a quick plier assist, and there is no
reliance on a thin copper plated center conductor for the male pin.
The whole move to RG6 and Fs was a big mistake. Okay for consumer TV
sets and other throw away junk but not ham. I realize there is
garbage RG8 and 8X and UHF connectors but they are a lot easier to
spot and avoid. The convenience of solderless cable prep outside is
great, but where are you when a few years later you have all kinds of
intermittent problems out there?
Rob
K5UJ
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